On this episode, Justin and I will discuss the Jake Allen signing and also discuss a future HOFer signing with the New Jersey Devils. We will also tell you about two former Blues who are being inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame and introduce two new segments to this show. All of that and much more on this episode of Lets Go Blues Radio.

The poll for each show will now be included with the update on the new episode. Please discuss here as well.

I begrudgingly select Jaro. I think he'll be healthy this year and he'll play well since it's a contract year. I also think that Ells has the most tradeable contract of the two (even though Jaro is the more desirable asset). Jaro has been and will be the starter unless he's hurt. I think he'll be the one come April.

Brian Elliott. Shaky or not, he's the All-Star, owns a few franchise records for the team and has proven that he can suck and then find his game and shoot for the moon again.

The only thing noteworthy Halak has done while wearing Blue is sharing a trophy with Brian, whose .941 was what, 20 points above Jaro?

Only reason why we're humoring Jaro is the same reason Vancouver is humoring Luongo; a contract that can't be moved. No one pays 4m for a oft-injured netminder who seems to have a fairly bad attitude, and no one overpays a great deal for an elite (Sorry Roberto, you did that to yourself). Sorry, at this point that's the truth.

Disagree, Oakland. And this is a topic I'd like to hear discussed on the webcast. Elliott is good....... when he's being pushed. When he and Halak were both heatlhy, Ells shone like a full moon on a clear night. Halak goes down, Ells crumbles--including in the playoffs. Flash forward everyone's healthy. Halak is ok, Ells is good, Halak goes down Ells goes to hell. Allen comes in, he plays out of this world hockey and Ells (eventually) improves. Halak comes back, Allen goes down, Ells plays serviceable hockey but when it becomes evident that Halak isn't playing, he falters. Now I don't want to give too much credit to anyone else--the offense obviously played like shit and that didn't help one bit against LA. But the goalie is the last line of defense and it's his job to get the team going. Big saves, pump up your scorers during the intermission, be a leader and get some help from your mates. Ells fails when he doesn't have someone pushing him. If he goes into the playoffs as the #1, I hope to hell it's not because Halak and Allen are injured and/or otherwise unavailable because then we're just looking at another early exit.

Glen, agree on principle. But if Elliott sucks, you can't play a hurt goaltender.

If Elliott sucked as bad as you say, how were we losing so many games with him in goal by one goal? Glenn Hall did that too and he surely doesn't suck. Does he need to be pushed? Absolutely. But when you have to worry about the team coming at you and your team playing garbage, uninspired hockey with no desire to win, put in the greatest netminder between the pipes and they'd still lose. Elliott is fundamentally sound, it's the team that isn't.

How do you get healthy, get reactivated only to suddenly get hurt again and when Ells is played, get into an argument with Hitch? The more Halak sits there and says he wants to play in the STL, the more I believe he's a liar and doing it to get between the pipes because he knows his next contract won't be 4m a year unless he stands on his head.

Elliott has proven that he's willing to step into a backup role, willing to step down to the minors to get back together, willing to play injured as he did for awhile to help keep the team afloat. He's a team player and he wants to be here.

Halaks main problem is his injury. Yes, he's an elite. Yes, he can rock the pipes, yes, when he's healthy, he's dynamite. But when he fell, who took us into the playoffs? Elliott. Who go us thru the first round? Elliott. Who kept us withing 1 goal of most games? Elliott.

Halak, until he's stable and healthy, will be nothing more in the STL than a what-if. Ells is a what-is.

I think Allen standing on his head when he got his cup of coffee played a major role. Pre-Allen (and pre-Ells going to Peoria) Ells was playing like absolute garbage and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. He needed two pushes: one from Allen and one from being sent down to get his head together. A well compensated goalie shouldn't need to be pushed like that to play up to expectations.

I think Allen standing on his head when he got his cup of coffee played a major role. Pre-Allen (and pre-Ells going to Peoria) Ells was playing like absolute garbage and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. He needed two pushes: one from Allen and one from being sent down to get his head together. A well compensated goalie shouldn't need to be pushed like that to play up to expectations.

Absolutely true, and I can't argue any of that. But it did make me think for a bit and I came to realize that there's a lot of that going on with this team, in general.

Players like Stewart, who have the fundamentals of being elites slack off or don't get pushed enough or too much, like Perron or Oshie. There's like a lull that hits the majority of these players and the result is that the younger guys step up and play with fire. Our best line was the CPR and that should have been the worst. Why? Because honestly, if we could figure that out and put the kibosh on it, I think we'd win a Cup.

I think Allen standing on his head when he got his cup of coffee played a major role. Pre-Allen (and pre-Ells going to Peoria) Ells was playing like absolute garbage and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. He needed two pushes: one from Allen and one from being sent down to get his head together. A well compensated goalie shouldn't need to be pushed like that to play up to expectations.

Absolutely true, and I can't argue any of that. But it did make me think for a bit and I came to realize that there's a lot of that going on with this team, in general.

Players like Stewart, who have the fundamentals of being elites slack off or don't get pushed enough or too much, like Perron or Oshie. There's like a lull that hits the majority of these players and the result is that the younger guys step up and play with fire. Our best line was the CPR and that should have been the worst. Why? Because honestly, if we could figure that out and put the kibosh on it, I think we'd win a Cup.

In other words we need vintage dickhead Ken Hitchcock and not modern day nice guy Ken Hitchcock. Which I completely agree with. Hitch is a shell of his former coaching self. His old self would never have let this team slack off as much as they do. I can understand the occasional mental lapses and it might be tough to play 60 minutes hard every night so on rare occasions you have yourself a shit game and you come back next time ten times harder, but often times this team played barely 40 minutes every night. After a great first period I was already prepping for the second period letdown and hoping they'd bring it back up a notch for the third. If Hitch doesn't want to coach them hard, perhaps next season should be it for him and bring in someone who will. I'd definitely say next season is make or break for his tenure as head coach.

But I digress from the original poll question. I stand by my decision that Jaro will be the #1 going into the playoffs unless, hopefully, he's been traded by then.

I have no doubt in my mind that 2014-2015 will bring us a Jake Allen/Jordan Binnington tandem. Unless they spend on a veteran backup which I don't anticipate.

I've seen you post this a few times. Do you really think the Blues will send Binnington straight to the NHL? They've been so careful with Allen, I don't see them doing anything different with Binnington. If Jake Allen is the starter in 2014-2015, I would guess the Blues would provide him with a veteran backup in case of injury, poor play, and just to help with the 82 season grind.

I have no doubt in my mind that 2014-2015 will bring us a Jake Allen/Jordan Binnington tandem. Unless they spend on a veteran backup which I don't anticipate.

I've seen you post this a few times. Do you really think the Blues will send Binnington straight to the NHL? They've been so careful with Allen, I don't see them doing anything different with Binnington. If Jake Allen is the starter in 2014-2015, I would guess the Blues would provide him with a veteran backup in case of injury, poor play, and just to help with the 82 season grind.

I have no doubt in my mind that 2014-2015 will bring us a Jake Allen/Jordan Binnington tandem. Unless they spend on a veteran backup which I don't anticipate.

I've seen you post this a few times. Do you really think the Blues will send Binnington straight to the NHL? They've been so careful with Allen, I don't see them doing anything different with Binnington. If Jake Allen is the starter in 2014-2015, I would guess the Blues would provide him with a veteran backup in case of injury, poor play, and just to help with the 82 season grind.

If they can get a veteran backup on the cheap who isn't cheap on account of the fact that he's simply no good. Salary cap is always an issue and the team will be at the ceiling once Pie finally signs. I haven't done any research into this at all, so this is just pissing in the wind but there are some significant RFA's coming up after the next 2 seasons plus if they want to retain the services of their impending UFA's, in particular Alex Steen will be commanding a decent raise. I mean if they were to let Halak, Elliott, Bouwmeester and Roy all walk they'd open up a lot of cap space for a backup minder and FA reinforcements preferably on offense. Who knows what the future will bring when they have to consider contracts for the rest of the team? If they expect Binnington will one day be a starting goalie then there's really no room for him on this team. Allen will be the #1 moving forward and that's just the way it is. Binnington will either be a backup or traded to a team that needs a young #1. Letting him languish in the farm will do nothing to benefit him after a while.

I have no doubt in my mind that 2014-2015 will bring us a Jake Allen/Jordan Binnington tandem. Unless they spend on a veteran backup which I don't anticipate.

I've seen you post this a few times. Do you really think the Blues will send Binnington straight to the NHL? They've been so careful with Allen, I don't see them doing anything different with Binnington. If Jake Allen is the starter in 2014-2015, I would guess the Blues would provide him with a veteran backup in case of injury, poor play, and just to help with the 82 season grind.

If they can get a veteran backup on the cheap who isn't cheap on account of the fact that he's simply no good. Salary cap is always an issue and the team will be at the ceiling once Pie finally signs. I haven't done any research into this at all, so this is just pissing in the wind but there are some significant RFA's coming up after the next 2 seasons plus if they want to retain the services of their impending UFA's, in particular Alex Steen will be commanding a decent raise. I mean if they were to let Halak, Elliott, Bouwmeester and Roy all walk they'd open up a lot of cap space for a backup minder and FA reinforcements preferably on offense. Who knows what the future will bring when they have to consider contracts for the rest of the team? If they expect Binnington will one day be a starting goalie then there's really no room for him on this team. Allen will be the #1 moving forward and that's just the way it is. Binnington will either be a backup or traded to a team that needs a young #1. Letting him languish in the farm will do nothing to benefit him after a while.

I don't disagree with you but spending 2014-2015 in Chicago is not letting Binnington languish on the farm. Honestly, I see the Blues either trading or letting Halak walk in the upcoming season. This is assuming Allen and/or Elliott do not regress big time. I see an Allen/Elliott combo in 2014-2015. It's not like Ells is going to command a huge pay raise unless he goes Tim Thomas circa 2010 on us and wins a Vezina. I think we've seen what Ells can do. He's been a great backup/part time starter/starter for us but I don't see that commanding 4 mil per on the FA market (then again, David Friggin' Clarkson snagged 7m per). That said, if he's going to cost too much, we let him walk and you can find a decent veteran backup out there that won't break the bank.

I have no doubt in my mind that 2014-2015 will bring us a Jake Allen/Jordan Binnington tandem. Unless they spend on a veteran backup which I don't anticipate.

I've seen you post this a few times. Do you really think the Blues will send Binnington straight to the NHL? They've been so careful with Allen, I don't see them doing anything different with Binnington. If Jake Allen is the starter in 2014-2015, I would guess the Blues would provide him with a veteran backup in case of injury, poor play, and just to help with the 82 season grind.

If they can get a veteran backup on the cheap who isn't cheap on account of the fact that he's simply no good. Salary cap is always an issue and the team will be at the ceiling once Pie finally signs. I haven't done any research into this at all, so this is just pissing in the wind but there are some significant RFA's coming up after the next 2 seasons plus if they want to retain the services of their impending UFA's, in particular Alex Steen will be commanding a decent raise. I mean if they were to let Halak, Elliott, Bouwmeester and Roy all walk they'd open up a lot of cap space for a backup minder and FA reinforcements preferably on offense. Who knows what the future will bring when they have to consider contracts for the rest of the team? If they expect Binnington will one day be a starting goalie then there's really no room for him on this team. Allen will be the #1 moving forward and that's just the way it is. Binnington will either be a backup or traded to a team that needs a young #1. Letting him languish in the farm will do nothing to benefit him after a while.

I don't disagree with you but spending 2014-2015 in Chicago is not letting Binnington languish on the farm. Honestly, I see the Blues either trading or letting Halak walk in the upcoming season. This is assuming Allen and/or Elliott do not regress big time. I see an Allen/Elliott combo in 2014-2015. It's not like Ells is going to command a huge pay raise unless he goes Tim Thomas circa 2010 on us and wins a Vezina. I think we've seen what Ells can do. He's been a great backup/part time starter/starter for us but I don't see that commanding 4 mil per on the FA market (then again, David Friggin' Clarkson snagged 7m per). That said, if he's going to cost too much, we let him walk and you can find a decent veteran backup out there that won't break the bank.

What if he proves to be a world beater this year? Binnington I mean. What if he singlehandedly delivers Chicago a Calder Cup?

Not really a "Would you rather", but close enough to the game description.

Pick a draft year you would want to entirely redo as the St Louis Blues GM, given the picks they had going into draft day. For example, go back to 2006 and redo the entire draft as the Blues' GM (taking Toews first, trading up for Girioux at #22, stealing Lucic (50), Anisimov (54), Marchand (71), etc).

Maybe the 1987 draft? You could grab Sakic.

I think the easy answer is the 1989 draft, and shaft the Red Wings. Without any trading, select Holik, Lidstrom, Federov, Bure, Drake, Audette, Malakhov, Konstantinov, and have 2 picks left over.

Regarding the poll question, remember when Elliott started off the year cold? I mean, it was bad!

I would start the Halak/Elliott tandem as a 1A/1B if both are healthy. I voted for Halak, but the two should fight for it in camp. Our first five games are at home, without any back-to-back games. This is an important decision! We could have 5 games of the better of Halak/Elliott.

Edit: My avatar on the right overlaps the attachment below, so I included some extra space so you could read the attachment clearly.

For the upcoming 2013-14 NHL season, would you rather:(A) Have a spell to cure any injury (one time use) for the upcoming season?(B) Have a spell that gives you an automatic goal (one time use) for the upcoming season?

No retrospective bullshit. Once you use either spell, its gone forever.

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